Redhawks will try to match 7-0OVC start vs. Racers

~ Southeast men face their archrival and perennial conference power Murray State.

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has an opportunity to match the best Ohio Valley Conference start in program history tonight.

A win over the Redhawks' archrival will get the job done.

"It's definitely exciting," Southeast senior center Mike Rembert said.

There will be another subplot tonight when Murray State visits the Show Me Center for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

The contest will mark the third meeting between Southeast coach Scott Edgar's current squad and his former school. The teams split their two meetings last year during Edgar's first season with the Redhawks.

But taking center stage will be Southeast's attempt to win its first seven OVC games for just the second time.

Since Southeast joined the OVC in 1991, only the 1998-99 squad has been able to start its league schedule 7-0.

The start appears even better when one considers the first-place Redhawks (11-5, 6-0) have had just one winning record in the last six years.

"Everything is going real good right now," said Southeast senior forward Brandon Foust, who has three double-doubles in his last four games. "It would be great to be a part of history."

Foust, who scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds during Saturday's win at Eastern Illinois, grinned when asked if it would be even sweeter to accomplish the milestone against the Redhawks' biggest rival.

"Yeah, I think it would be nicer to do it against them," he said.

Based solely on its record, Murray State (6-7, 3-3) appears to be struggling some under second-year coach Billy Kennedy.

But one look at the Racers' scores shows just how close they are to being right where Southeast is -- in first place in the OVC.

Murray State's three conference losses have been by a total of five points. The Racers suffered one-point defeats to Eastern Kentucky and Samford, while falling to Eastern Illinois by three points in overtime.

"They could easily build a case that they could be 6-0," said Edgar, whose own squad has one-point OVC wins at Samford and Jacksonville State. "All we have is a little better conference record right now."

What the Racers do have is the status as the OVC's flagship program.

The Racers' 20 straight winning seasons ties them for fifth nationally. They have captured an OVC-record 20 regular-season titles and 13 tournament crowns.

"They've got the best program in the league," Edgar said.

Edgar had a major hand in part of Murray State's success. He coached the Racers for four seasons from 1991 through 1995, leading them to three OVC regular-season championships and two OVC tournament titles.

"But this game is not about me," Edgar said. "It's about our team and what should be a great game."

Sophomore Danero Thomas, a 6-foot-4 guard, leads the Racers with an average of 12.7 points per game.

Also scoring in double figures for the Racers are 6-2 junior guard Tyler Holloway (10.7 ppg) and 6-9 sophomore center Tony Easley (10.5).

Holloway is the OVC's third-best 3-point shooter at 46.2 percent (24-of-52) -- Southeast sophomore guard Jimmy Drew is second at 50 percent (21-of-42) -- while Easley leads the league in field-goal percentage at 69.6 (55-of-79).

"Murray State is very talented, and they'll come in here really hungry and ready to play," Edgar said.

The Redhawks also figure to be hungry as they chase program history.

"I told them I'm happy to be 6-0, but you know me. I'm hard to satisfy," Edgar said. "There's a lot of basketball left to be played, and the better you do, you create a bull's-eye on your chest.

"We've positioned ourselves for a championship week. We've got the best program in the league coming in [tonight], then Saturday we go to the defending champion [Austin Peay]."

Austin Peay is the only other team unbeaten in OVC play and is just a half game behind the Redhawks.

Added a smiling Edgar: "There are a lot of reasons to have a sellout [tonight]."

That might be a bit much to ask, but the Redhawks are looking for a big crowd.

"We're hoping the fans come out and support us," Rembert said. "We won't disappoint them."